- Princess of Hainault
- Queen of England
- Regent during Hundred Years War
Philippa of Hainault was born 24 June 1311 in Valenciennes, Nord, France to William I of Hainaut (c1286-1337) and Jeanne de Valois (c1294-1342) and died 1369 Windsor Castle, Windsor, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom of edema. She married Edward III of England (1312-1377) 24 January 1327 JL in York Minster, York, North Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom.
Biography
Philippa of Hainault was the wife of King Edward III of England. She was born on June 24, 1314, in Valenciennes, in what is now modern-day Belgium, to William I, Count of Hainault, and Joan of Valois. Philippa was one of eleven children and grew up in a noble family with close ties to the French royal court.
Philippa married Edward III in January 1328, when she was just 14 years old and he was 16. The marriage was arranged as part of a political alliance between England and Hainault, which was then an independent county. Philippa was highly regarded for her beauty, intelligence, and virtue, and she quickly won the affection of the English people.
During her time as queen, Philippa played an important role in English politics and diplomacy. She was instrumental in negotiating several important treaties with foreign powers, including the Treaty of Bretigny in 1360, which ended the first phase of the Hundred Years' War with France.
Philippa was also a patron of the arts and supported several literary and cultural figures during her reign, including Geoffrey Chaucer, who served as her clerk of works. She was also known for her philanthropy and established several charitable institutions, including a hospital for lepers.
Philippa and Edward had twelve children, including several who went on to become important historical figures, such as Edward the Black Prince and John of Gaunt. Philippa was a devoted mother who took an active role in her children's education and upbringing.
Philippa died on August 15, 1369, at Windsor Castle, at the age of 55. She was mourned deeply by her husband, who was said to have been devastated by her death. Philippa's legacy as a queen, diplomat, and patron of the arts continues to be celebrated today, and she is remembered as one of England's most beloved and influential medieval queens.
Childhood
Philippa of Hainault and her family seated under the canopy
Philippa was born on 24 June c.1310/15, in Valenciennes, Low Countries. She was one of eight children and the second of five daughters born from William I, Count of Hainaut, and Joan of Valois, granddaughter of King Philip III of France.[1] The Royal House of Valois was a cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty, also known as the House of France.
King Edward II decided that an alliance with Flanders would benefit England and sent Bishop Stapledon of Exeter on the Continent as an ambassador. On his journey, he crossed into the county of Hainaut to inspect the daughters of Count William of Hainaut, to determine which daughter would be the most suitable as an eventual bride for young Prince Edward. The bishop's report to the King describes one of the Count's daughters in detail. A later annotation says it describes Philippa as a child, but historian Ian Mortimer argues that it is actually an account of her older sister Margaret.[2] The description runs:
The lady whom we saw has not uncomely hair, betwixt blue-black and brown... Her face narrows between the eyes and its lower part is more narrow than her forehead. Her eyes are blackish-brown and deep. Her nose is fairly smooth and even, save that it is somewhat broad at the tip and flattened, and yet it is no snub-nose... Her lips are full, especially the lower lip... Her lower teeth project a little beyond the upper; yet this is but little seen... All her body is well set and unmaimed; and nought is amiss so far as a man may see. Moreover, she is brown of skin all over, much like her father. And she will be of the age of nine years on St. John's day next to come, as her mother said. She is neither too tall nor too short for such an age; she is of fair carriage. The damsel is well taught in all that becometh her rank and highly esteemed and well beloved by her parents and of all her meinie, in so far as we could inquire and learn the truth. In all things, she is pleasant enough, as it seems to us.[3]
Growing up in the Low Countries in the period when this region was growing into a major trading centre, Philippa was well versed in finances and diplomacy. Her older sister Margaret succeeded their brother William II, Count of Hainaut, upon his death in battle. The counties of Holland, Zeeland and the seigniory of Frisia were devolved to Margaret after agreement between the sisters.[4]
Four years later, in the summer of 1326, Isabella of France, the Queen of England, arrived at the court of Hainaut to seek aid from Count William in order to depose her husband, Edward II, from the throne. Prince Edward had accompanied his mother to Hainaut, where she arranged the betrothal to 13-year-old Philippa in exchange for assistance. As the couple were second cousins (as great-grandchildren of Philip III of France), a papal dispensation was required;[5] and sent from Pope John XXII at Avignon in September 1327. Philippa's retinue arrived in England in December, escorted by her uncle John of Hainaut. On 23 December, she reached London where a "rousing reception was accorded her".[6]
Death
Effigies of King Edward III and Queen Philippa of Hainault
On 15 August 1369, Queen Philippa died of an illness similar to edema in Windsor Castle. She was given a state funeral six months later on 9 January 1370 and was interred at Westminster Abbey. Her alabaster effigy was executed by sculptor Jean de Liège. Her tomb was placed on the northeast side of the Chapel of Edward the Confessor and on the opposite side of her husband's grandparents, Edward I and Eleanor of Castile. Eight years later, Edward III died and was buried next to Philippa. By all accounts, their forty-year marriage had been happy.[7]
The Queen's College, Oxford was founded by her chaplain Robert de Eglesfield in her honour.[8]
Marriage and Family
Edward III as he was depicted in the late 16th century
Edward III of England (1312-1377) seems to have been unusually devoted to his wife, Queen Philippa. Much has been made of Edward's sexual licentiousness, but there is no evidence of any infidelity on his part before Alice Perrers became his lover, and by that time the queen was already terminally ill.[9] This devotion extended to the rest of the family as well; in contrast to so many of his predecessors, Edward never experienced opposition from any of his five adult sons.[10]
Sons
His eldest son, Edward the Black Prince, died before him, and so the throne passed to his grandson, Richard II of England (1367-1400). Two other sons became patriarchs of the House of Lancaster and the House of York whose descendants would battle for control of the throne in the War of the Roses.
- Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales (1330-1376) AKA: Edward the Black Prince, eldest son and heir apparent, born at Woodstock Palace, Oxfordshire. He predeceased his father, having in 1361 married his cousin Joan, Countess of Kent, by whom he had issue: King [[King Richard II of England|RichardTemplate:NbsII]].
- William of Hatfield (1337-1337), second son, born at Hatfield, South Yorkshire, died shortly after birth and was buried in York Minster.
- Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence (1338-1368) third son (second surviving son), born at Antwerp in the Duchy of Brabant, where his father was based during his negotiations with Jacob van Artevelde.[11] In 1352 he married firstly Elizabeth de Burgh, 4th Countess of Ulster, without male issue, but his female issue was the senior royal ancestor of the Yorkist King EdwardTemplate:NbsIV: Philippa, 5th Countess of Ulster. Descent from Lionel was the basis of the Yorkist claim to the throne, not direct paternal descent from the 1st Duke of York, a more junior line. Secondly, in 1368, Lionel married Violante Visconti, without issue.
- John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster (1340-1399), fourth son (third surviving son), born at "Gaunt" (Ghent) in the County of Flanders, which city was an important buyer of English wool, then the foundation of English prosperity. In 1359, he married firstly his distant cousin the great heiress Blanche of Lancaster, descended from the 1st Earl of Lancaster, a younger son of King HenryTemplate:NbsIII. By Blanche he had issue: Henry of Bolingbroke, who became King [[Henry IV of England|HenryTemplate:NbsIV]], having seized the throne from his first cousin King RichardTemplate:NbsII. In 1371, he married secondly the Infanta Constance of Castile, by whom he had issue. In 1396, he married thirdly his mistress Katherine Swynford, by whom he had illegitimate issue, later legitimised as the House of Beaufort. His great-granddaughter Margaret Beaufort was the mother of Henry VII, who claimed the throne as the representative of the Lancastrian line. See also House of Lancaster.
- Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York (1341-1402), fifth son (fourth surviving son), born at Kings Langley Palace, Hertfordshire. He married firstly the Infanta Isabella of Castile, by whom he had issue, sister of the Infanta Constance of Castile, second wife of his elder brother John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster. Secondly in 1392 he married his second cousin Joan Holland, without issue. His great-grandson (the 4th Duke of York) became King [[Edward IV of England|EdwardTemplate:NbsIV]] in 1461, having deposed his half-second cousin the Lancastrian King HenryTemplate:NbsVI. EdwardTemplate:NbsIV's daughter Elizabeth of York was mother of King HenryTemplate:NbsVIII. See also House of York
- Thomas of Windsor (1347-1348)[12] (1347–1348), sixth son, born at Windsor Castle, died in infancy of the plague and was buried at King's Langley Priory, Hertfordshire.
- William of Windsor (1348-1348) - died young.
- Thomas of Woodstock (1355-1397), eighth son (fifth surviving son), born at Woodstock Palace in Oxfordshire; in 1376 he married Eleanor de Bohun, by whom he had issue. His eventual heir was the Bourchier family, Earls of Bath, of Tawstock in Devon, today represented by the Wrey baronets, who quarter the arms of Thomas of Woodstock[lower-alpha 1] and continue as lords of the manor of Tawstock.
Daughters
- Isabella de Coucy (1332-1382), Countess of Bedford , born at Woodstock Palace, Oxfordshire, in 1365 married Enguerrand VII de Coucy, 1st Earl of Bedford, by whom she had issue.
- Joan of England (1335-1348), born in the Tower of London; she was betrothed to Peter of Castile but died of the black death en route to Castile before the marriage could take place. Peter's two daughters from his union with María de Padilla married Joan's younger brothers John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster and Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York.
- Blanche of England (1342-1342), born in the Tower of London, died shortly after birth and was buried in Westminster Abbey.
- Mary of England (1344-1362), born at Bishop's Waltham, Hampshire; in 1361 she married John IV, Duke of Brittany, without issue.
- Margaret of England (1346-1361), Countess of Pembroke, born at Windsor Castle; in 1359 she married John Hastings, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, without issue.
Children
Siblings
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Joanna of Hainaut (c1307-1374) | 1374 | Wilhelm I. von Jülich (c1299-1361) | |
| Margaret II of Hainaut (1311-1356) | 1311 | 23 June 1356 | Ludwig IV. von Wittelsbach (1282-1347) |
| Philippa of Hainaut (1311-1369) | 24 June 1311 Valenciennes, Nord, France | 1369 Windsor Castle, Windsor, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom | Edward III of England (1312-1377) |
| William II of Hainaut (1307-1345) | 1307 | 26 September 1345 | Johanna van Brabant (1322-1406) |
| Isabella of Hainaut (1323-1361) | |||
| Louis of Hainaut (1325-1328) | |||
See Also
- Charlemagne Family Ancestry
- wikipedia:en:Philippa of Hainault
- Philippa of Hainault at thePeerage
- Philippa of Hainault - Geni.com
- Philippa of Hainault at Find A Grave
- Edward III at the official website of the British Monarchy
- Edward III at BBC History
- Arnold, Margot. Queen Consorts of England: The Power Behind the Throne. New York: Facts On File, 1993.
- Ashley, Mike (2002). British Kings & Queens. Carroll & Graf. ISBN 0-7867-1104-3. https://archive.org/details/briefhistoryofbr0000ashl_f1a2. pages 185 & 186.
- Salmonson, Jessica Amanda. (1991) The Encyclopedia of Amazons. Paragon House. page 212. ISBN 1-55778-420-5
- Sury, Geoffroy G., Bayern Straubing Hennegau: la Maison de Bavière en Hainaut, XIVe – XVe s., (2nd Ed.), Geoffroy G. Sury, Edit., Brussels, 2010. pp. 55, 66 & 128.
- Template:Cite odnb
- Warner, Kathryn (2020). Philippa of Hainault: Mother of the English Nation. Amberley Publishing.
- Weir, Alison (1999). Britain's Royal Family: A Complete Genealogy. London: Bodley Head. ISBN 0-7126-7448-9. page 92.
- The Perfect King - The Life of Edward III, Father of the English Nation - by Ian Mortimer, Publ 2010 by Random House
References
- ^ Leese, Thelma Anna, Blood royal: issue of the kings and queens of medieval England, 1066–1399, (Heritage Books Inc., 2007), 140.
- ^ Mortimer, Ian, The Perfect King: The Life of Edward III, Father of the English Nation, Vintage 2008, p.34.
- ^ The original document is written in Norman French. This is the translation derived from The Register of Walter de Stapledon, Bishop of Exeter, 1307–1326, ed. F. C. Hingeston-Randolph (London, 1892), p.169. It is used in several books of the 1950s–60s, including G. G. Coulton, Medieval Panorama: The English Scene from Conquest to Reformation, Meridian Books, New York, 1955, p.644.; W. O. Hassal, How They Lived: An Anthology of Original Accounts Written before 1485, Blackwell, Oxford, 1962, p.95. However, Michael Prestwich's 2005 summary translates the description of the hair as "between blonde and brown" (the original is "entre bloy et brun"); Plantagenet England, 1225–1360 Clarendon, Oxford, 2005, p.215
- ^ Geoffroy G. Sury, Bayern Straubing Hennegau: la Maison de Bavière en Hainaut, XIVe – XVe s., Edit. Geoffroy G. Sury, Bruxelles, © 2010 (2e éd.), p. 66 : – Un chirographe sur parchemin daté du 17 October 1346 à Ypres (Ieper), dont le sceau est détruit, énonce un accord conclu entre l’impératrice Marguerite II comtesse de Hainaut (épouse de Louis IV de Bavière, empereur germanique) etc., et sa sœur Philippe (Philippa de Hainaut), reine d’Angleterre (épouse du roi Edouard III) touchant la succession de leur défunt frère, Guillaume II comte de Hainaut, etc. Philippa, renonçant à ses prétentions sur le Hainaut, la Hollande, la Zélande et la Frise. In, G. Wymans, « Inventaire analytique du chartrier de la Trésorerie des comtes de Hainaut », aux A.E. Mons, n° d’ordre (cote) 869, Editions A.G.R., Bruxelles, 1985, p. 190.; – Un parchemin daté du 7/09/1346 à Francfort (Frankfurt am Main), dont le sceau est détruit, énonce que Louis IV de Bavière empereur du St.-Empire Romain Germanique s’engage pour lui-même et ses héritiers, et au nom de son épouse, l’impératrice Marguerite, à ne jamais céder, diviser ni engager les comtés de Hainaut, de Hollande, de Zélande et de la seigneurie de Frise, qui appartiennent à la dite Marguerite (Marguerite II (d’Avesnes) comtesse de Hainaut) et à ses héritiers, sauf les droits de ses sœurs, et, après le décès de cette dernière, à leur deuxième fils, Guillaume (futur Guillaume III comte de Hainaut) duc (I) de Bavière, et, celui-ci décédé, à Albert (futur Albert Ier comte de Hainaut), duc (I) de Bavière, leur troisième fils. In, G. Wymans, « Inventaire analytique du chartrier de la Trésorerie des comtes de Hainaut », aux A.E. Mons, n° d’ordre (cote) 868, Editions A.G.R., Bruxelles, 1985, p. 190. (Or. sur pch.; dét. (Frankfurt am Main, 7/09/1346.); – Un autre parchemin daté du 8/09/1346 à Geertruidenberg, d’après une traduction latine de l’allemand datée du 16 March 1347 (date nouv. st.), énonce que Marguerite II comtesse de Hainaut (épouse de Louis IV de Bavière, empereur germanique) etc., commet son fils Guillaume (futur Guillaume III comte de Hainaut) au gouvernement des comtés de Hainaut, de Hollande, de Zélande, et de la seigneurie de Frise durant son absence. In, G. Wymans, « Inventaire analytique du chartrier de la Trésorerie des comtes de Hainaut », aux A.E. Mons, n° d’ordre (cote) 868, Editions A.G.R., Bruxelles, 1985, p. 190.
- ^ David Williamson, Debrett's Kings and Queens of Britain, p.81
- ^ Thomas B. Costain, The Three Edwards, p.249, Doubleday and Company, Garden City, New York, 1958
- ^ Vale (2010). "Philippa [Philippa of Hainault] (1310x15?–1369)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/22110. (subscription or UK public library membership required)
- ^ "History". https://www.queens.ox.ac.uk/history.
- ^ Mortimer (2006), pp. 400–401; Prestwich (1980), p. 241.
- ^ Prestwich (2005), p. 290.
- ^
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. "Antwerp (city)". Encyclopædia Britannica. 2. Cambridge University Press. pp. 155–156.
- ^ Cawley, Charles. "Medieval Lands Project: Kings of England, 1066–1603". Foundation for Medieval Genealogy. http://www.fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/ENGLAND,%20Kings%201066-1603.htm#_Toc283485377.
English royalty
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| Vacant Title last held by Isabella of France
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Queen consort of England 24 January 1328 – 15 August 1369 |
Vacant Title next held by Anne of Bohemia
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Footnotes (including sources)
Rtol, Phlox, Thurstan, MainTour
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